'Best in the league' - Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup hails one key Sunderland trait under Regis Le Bris
Sunderland host Norwich City at the Stadium of Light this weekend.
Norwich City manager Johannes Hoff Thorup has claimed that Sunderland are the “best transition team” in the Championship, as well as hailing the Black Cats’ recruitment strategy, ahead of his side’s trip to the Stadium of Light this weekend.
The Canaries will travel to Wearside on Saturday hoping to put an end to a winless run of three matches, but Thorup is under no illusions as to the size of the task facing his squad in the North East. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the Dane emphasised just how impressed he has been with Sunderland so far this season, as well as praising the manner in which the Black Cats have transformed themselves into promotion contenders.
He said: “I think when you are in a league and you compete against clubs where they have a bigger budget, they have a bigger reach maybe in terms of the players they can bring in, then you have to find something else you compete on. That's what we try to do here, that's why we try to be as clear as possible in our decisions and our choices and our strategy and the way that we play, so we can compete with that.
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“I think Sunderland is a good example. I think they play really, really well, and [that is] also something we need to be really prepared for, because in my opinion it's the best transition team in the league. I think if you look at the movements up front, if you look at the chances they create from counter-attacks and being very direct in their approach, I think they're really, really good in that area of the game.
“So for us, again, really much about balance, not being tempted to go into certain areas where we know there's a big risk, but reading the moment well to see if we can go against their pressing direction and find that opposite side as quick as possible so we avoid those moments where we lose it in critical areas of the game, because I think that would be the deal-breaker in the game.
“If we are good in reading those moments and getting away from the pressure and finding the free spaces, then we can hurt them, but if we are tempted and if we take the wrong decisions, if we play a little bit too slow, then we can get hurt. So that's really been the headline for me in the preparation today and before today's training, and it will be in the upcoming days.”
Thorup also took the time to lavish praise on Sunderland for the coolness they showed in their improbable 3-2 comeback victory over Swansea City last time out. He added: "They can be 2-0 down and still fight back, because they know how to deal with it; what kind of patterns they need to find, what kind of mentality and character from individuals that you need to find. That’s the most difficult thing in football. We are human beings, frustrations can take over, we can be emotional, and sometimes emotion can take over. But one thing is for sure, if emotions take over, then we don’t make good decisions.”